Super Bowl Sunday — the day when everyone is a football fan — is almost here. Well, at least it’s the day when everyone enjoys chips and guac, chicken wings, and pizza while watching commercials and the halftime show. The teams are all set, and the Kansas City Chiefs will be taking on the San Francisco 49ers for a chance to hoist the Lombardi trophy.
On top of all the foods, we enjoy pairing the intense gridiron action between Jimmy Garappolo and Patrick Mahomes with a nice glass of whiskey or another spirit (or a cocktail if you prefer). Bartenders agree with us. That’s why we decided to ask some of our favorites to tell us their go-to bottle of booze to bring to a Super Bowl party. Check out all of their choices below.
Photo: FatCamera (Getty Images)
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Super Bowl Whiskeys
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Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey
“Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey is my go-to whiskey to bring to a Super Bowl party. The unique blend between Jack Daniels whiskey and honey liqueur makes Jack Daniels Honey very easy to sip on. This is great to sip on the rocks or if you want to go the extra mile, making a homemade Jack honey lemonade is extremely refreshing. I do warn you that this can get a little too sweet for some people, so I would suggest making a homemade unsweetened lemonade to balance. Truly refreshing.” – Yotam Bloom, beverage manager at Refinery Rooftop in New York City
Photo: Jack Daniel's
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Mal Bien Mezcal
"Mezcal is pretty hot right now, so I would definitely be bringing that to a Super Bowl party. Anything from Mezcal Mal Bien is sure to be a crowd pleaser." – Chris Amirault, bartender at Otium in Los Angeles
Photo: Mal Bien
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The Macallan 12 Year Old Scotch Whisky
“The first thing that comes to mind is Macallan 12. It’s easy to drink on its own, and you can turn it into a scotch and soda with some lemon. Goes perfectly with wings and pizza.” – Elliot Clark, @apartment_bartender on Instagram
Photo: The Macallan
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Michter's US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
“If I’m trying to pick a whiskey to bring to a Super Bowl party, I always go with a classic. That’s why I’d bring Michter's US 1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Why mess with a good thing?” – Chris Amirault, bartender at Otium in Los Angeles
Photo: Michter's
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Espolon Reposado Tequila
"Espolon Reposado. This seems purely selfish because I love tequila and I also know it can be polarizing, but hear me out. The Super Bowl is an event where you're most likely going to be drinking all day so you're going to need an alcohol that is extremely versatile. Start off your finger food prep early by making something filling like a bloody Maria (it's a meal in a glass and you'll need the energy to cook), move on to a Paloma once the game starts, tequila Old-Fashioned by halftime, then either drown your sorrows or celebrate with shots after the game. Espolon's Reposado has flavors that will hold up both light, citrusy cocktails as well as heavy, spirit-forward ones. There you go, an array of drinking possibilities for everyone costing you under $25 and I've pled my case to all non-tequila drinkers." – Neil Minger, restaurant supervisor of Ellington’s Mid Way Bar & Grill in Nashville
Photo: Espolon
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Sazerac Rye Whiskey
“I personally would bring Sazerac Rye. I enjoy it as a neat spirit and obviously in a Sazerac cocktail, but I also like to share stories of New Orleans with new friends and this is a great ice breaker for me at a party. On a basic level, I like how the bottle design stands out on a table or bar with other bottles. Inevitably, I end up making cocktails with it for everyone.” – Christopher Longoria, beverage director at Che Fico in San Francisco
Photo: Sazerac
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Don Julio 1942 Tequila
"For a Miami Super Bowl party, my choice would be Don Julio 1942 tequila. Don Julio undergoes bourbon barrel aging, which imparts a nice round, mellow flavor and texture. Definitely a sipping tequila, to be enjoyed by a pool watching the game." – Anthony Merlino, beverage director at Bergamo’s in New York City
Photo: Don Julio
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Fortaleza Blanco Tequila
"Besides brewskies, vodka is one of the many popular choices because it is a friendly option when it comes to mixing with anything you have handy! Bring on the Super Bowl drinking games. My personal preference, though, is a good sipping tequila, a reposado, or a great blanco like Fortaleza. Serve over a big rock and enjoy alongside a lager beer." – Kristen Scott, beverage director at Boca Raton Resort & Club
Photo: Fortaleza
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Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Bourbon
“These will be probably slightly messy, unpretentious affairs (plus, it’s probably not the venue to pop your swankiest bottle at). Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch and Wild Turkey 101 are going to be two options that’ll barely dent your wallet yet offer a good chunk of enjoyable bourbon pleasure, alone or mixed. Plus, if your friends kill the bottle while you're on a restroom break, you’re not going to be sad you didn’t hide it.” – Rob Guimaraes, manage at Etch in Nashville
Photo: Evan Williams
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Buffalo Trace Bourbon
“Buffalo Trace. It’s easy to drink and a crowd-pleaser.” – Anthony Merlino, beverage director at Bergamo’s in New York City
Photo: Buffalo Trace
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Ilegal Mezcal
"Ilegal Mezcal because it’s just a party in a bottle. It’s great in an Old-Fashioned. It’s great in a margarita. It’s great directly from the bottle." – Will Benedetto, director of bars at IGC Hospitality in New York City
Photo: Ilegal Mezcal
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Four Roses Yellow Label Bourbon
“A Four Roses Yellow Label handle is the best value bourbon on the planet. This is a lighter whiskey, but complex enough to be good in all situations and affordable enough for all budgets.” – Dean Hurst, mixologist at Berns Steakhouse in Tampa Bay, Florida
Photo: Four Roses
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Green Spot Irish Whiskey
“Green Spot Irish Whiskey. Prior to tasting Green Spot, I thought that all Irish whiskey was super mellow and kind of, well, blah. But Green Spot is not that. This is a super approachable but pretty complex spirit that, for me, drinks like caramel-covered green apples and lingers on the palate with the perfect amount of spice. So, you can count on this stuff to keep you and your friends in good spirits no matter how the game plays out.” – Sarah Briggs, beverage director at Renata in Portland, Oregon
Photo: Green Spot
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Jameson Irish Whiskey
“Super Bowl parties have loads of people, so something that pleases everyone is the way to go. My selection would be a large format 1.75-liter Jameson. You could always use more in these types of situations.” – Stefan Seecharran, head bartender at Brasserie Saint Marc in New York City
Photo: Jameson
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Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey
“I have to go with ol' faithful on this one. Jack Daniel's Old Number 7 is the way to go. You can mix it, you can shoot it, or if you're anything like my friends, you can just pass it around till it's gone. Titan up!” – James Sharp, bar manager at Cross-Eyed Critters in Nashville
Photo: Jack Daniel's
